ANOTHER OSU AWAITS: Kelly’s focus turns from Oregon State to Ohio State

Even with only one game of Ohio State film available to him, Chip Kelly wasn’t about to pass up a chance to get an early look at Oregon’s Rose Bowl opponent.

Less than 24 hours after clinching an outright Pac-10 title and the trip to Pasadena with a 37-33 win over No. 16 Oregon State, Kelly was back in his office watching — and watching, and watching — the Buckeyes face Southern California. Ohio State lost 18-15 at home to the Trojans, who in turn lost 47-20 to Oregon in Eugene a few weeks later.

“They’re solid on defense, and they obviously can run the ball and have a great big athlete at quarterback,” Kelly said Friday evening.

That would be dual threat Terrelle Pryor, the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the signing class of 2008 who was pursued by Oregon out of high school before signing with the Buckeyes. Just based on the USC game — the rest of Ohio State’s film was to arrive later Friday — Kelly said Pryor had “obviously developed” since high school.

The Ducks will begin their Rose Bowl practices next Friday, after taking the week off for finals following the team banquet Sunday. Oregon will have nine workouts in Eugene, then travel to Los Angeles on Christmas Day before resuming practices the next day at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The Rose Bowl will be played on New Year’s Day, with kickoff set for 2:10 p.m. A welcome party will be held at Disneyland on Dec. 26 at 2 p.m.

Oregon (10-2, 8-1 Pac-10) will be playing for just the second 11-win season in school history. Since the Pac-10 expanded in 1978, Kelly is one of four coaches to win 10 games in his first season, and he’s the first to win an outright Pac-10 title in his first year. Four coaches have shared Pac-10 titles in their first years.

Kelly raised that benchmark thanks to Thursday’s thrilling win in the Civil War. Oregon State’s loss resulted in every other Pac-10 team finishing at least two games behind the champion, the first time that’s happened since Washington won the 1991 title. Click here for the complete story.